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Topic:Respiratory Disease
Respiratory disease in horses encompasses a range of conditions affecting the respiratory system, including the upper and lower airways. These diseases can result from various etiologies such as infectious agents, environmental factors, or genetic predispositions. Common respiratory conditions in horses include equine asthma, equine influenza, and strangles. Clinical signs often associated with respiratory disease in horses include coughing, nasal discharge, and labored breathing. Diagnostic approaches may involve endoscopy, imaging, and laboratory tests to assess the function and health of the respiratory tract. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of respiratory diseases in equine populations.
The displaced equine soft palate as a source of abnormal respiratory noise during expiration. To develop the technique of respiratory sound analysis for the diagnosis of dorsal displacement of the equine soft palate. Objective: To show that 1) the displaced soft palate can spontaneously vibrate in the presence of expiratory airflow; 2) the observed frequency of vibration can be detected in respiratory sound recordings; and 3) the frequency of vibrations measured in cadaveric specimens are similar to those obtained from audio spectra in exercising horses with DDSP. Methods: Palatal movements and respiratory sounds were recorded from artificially ventilated cadaveric heads. The fundament...
Respiratory and metabolic effects of massive administration of isotonic saline solution in heaves-affected and control horses. It has been suggested that rapid administration of isotonic saline solution relieves airway obstruction in heaves-affected horses, but the efficacy and tolerability of this treatment is poorly documented. Objective: To determine the respiratory and metabolic effects of a rapid administration of isotonic saline solution in control horses and those with heaves. Methods: Thirty litres isotonic saline solution were administered i.v. to 5 control (Group C) and 9 heaves-affected horses (Group H). Pulmonary function testing and arterial blood gas analysis were performed prior to saline infusion, at 9...
Nicoletella semolina gen. nov., sp. nov., a new member of Pasteurellaceae isolated from horses with airway disease. Gram-negative, nonmotile bacteria that are catalase, oxidase, and urease positive are regularly isolated from the airways of horses with clinical signs of respiratory disease. On the basis of the findings by a polyphasic approach, we propose that these strains be classified as Nicoletella semolina gen. nov, sp. nov., a new member of the family Pasteurellaceae. N. semolina reduces nitrate to nitrite but is otherwise biochemically inert; this includes the lack of an ability to ferment glucose and other sugars. Growth is fastidious, and the isolates have a distinctive colony morphology, with the ...
Equine herpesvirus 1 and 4. Equine herpesvirus infections in horses remain a significant cause of abortion and neurologic disease. These viruses are also responsible for mild signs of respiratory disease. The ability to establish latent infections with periodic reactivation or transmission to other horses is an important feature of these herpesviruses. One of the most unique aspects of this report is the description of horses demonstrating neurologic signs serving as the source of infection for other horses. Accurate diagnosis and better means of protection for horses remain problems facing veterinarians and horse owners...
Pulmonary ultrasonographic abnormalities associated with naturally occurring equine influenza virus infection in standardbred racehorses. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if naturally occurring acute infectious upper respiratory disease (IRD) caused by equine influenza virus is associated with ultrasonographically detectable pleural and pulmonary abnormalities in horses. Standardbred racehorses were evaluated for signs of IRD, defined as acute coughing or mucopurulent nasal discharge. For every horse with IRD (n = 16), 1 or 2 horses with no signs of IRD and the same owner or trainer (n = 30) were included. Thoracic ultrasonography was performed within 5-10 days of the onset of clinical disease in horses with IR...
Influence of breathing pattern and lung inflation on impulse oscillometry measurements in horses. The objective of this paper was to determine if changes in ventilation patterns could influence the outcome of respiratory function measurements performed with our impulse oscillometry system (IOS) in horses. In a first study, IOS tests were performed in vitro on six isolated equine lungs. Lung inflation levels were controlled by modifying depressurisation inside an artificial thorax and different ventilation patterns were imposed. In a second in vivo study, transient variations in breathing pattern were evaluated both with the IOS and a current reference technique (CRT) in five healthy mature...
The effects of a single acupuncture treatment in horses with severe recurrent airway obstruction. Acupuncture may be recommended for horses with 'heaves' because it is being increasingly applied to treat human asthma. Therefore, its efficacy was investigated in horses with this asthma-like disease. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a single acupuncture treatment for the relief of airway obstruction in heaves-affected horses. Methods: The efficacy of a single acupuncture treatment was tested in 10 heaves-affected horses, and the effect of removal from the dusty stall environment in 5 heaves-affected horses. Before treatment, horses were stabled to induce airway obstruction and, apart f...
High-speed treadmill videoendoscopic examination of the upper respiratory tract in the horse: the results of 291 clinical cases. The purpose of the study was to describe the prevalence of upper airway abnormalities and establish if any significant associations existed between study variables and the two most frequently identified disorders; axial deviation of the aryepiglottic folds and dorsal displacement of the soft palate. The clinical records and video-recordings of all horses referred for upper respiratory tract evaluation during high-speed treadmill videoendoscopy between November 1997 and September 2003 were reviewed. Of 291 horses included in the study, 265 underwent resting endoscopy and 42% (112/265) had a rec...
Retrospective comparison of azithromycin, clarithromycin, and erythromycin for the treatment of foals with Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. The objective of this retrospective study was to compare the efficacy of azithromycin-rifampin, clarithromycin-rifampin, and erythromycin-rifampin for the treatment of pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi in foals. Eighty-one foals with naturally acquired pneumonia caused by R. equi were included in the study. Information on age, sex, breed, physical examination findings, laboratory testing, and thoracic radiography was abstracted from each medical record. Foals were divided in 3 groups based on the antimicrobial agent selected for therapy. Short-term (discharge from the hospital) and long-ter...
Treatment of inflammatory airway disease in young standardbreds with interferon alpha. The effect of oral treatment with natural or recombinant human interferon alpha (HIA) on inflammatory airway disease in young standardbreds was assessed in a double-blind, randomized clinical trial. A total of 34 horses with nasal discharge, excess mucus in the trachea, and a persistent cough of at least 2 weeks' duration that interfered with training completed the trial. Horses were rested for 1 week and received oral treatment with either a saline placebo, recombinant human interferon alpha (rHIA; 90 U/horse/day), or natural human interferon alpha (nHIA: 50 U/horse/day) for 5 days. There was...
Immunoglobulin A monoclonal gammopathy in two horses with multiple myeloma. The clinical findings in two horses with secretory multiple myeloma and secondary immunoglobulin A (IgA) monoclonal gammopathy were non-specific and included weight loss, pale mucous membranes, limb oedema and bacterial respiratory tract infection. Consistent laboratory abnormalities included hyperproteinaemia, hyperglobulinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia and hypercalcaemia. The diagnosis was based on the presence of IgA monoclonal gammopathy in serum and urine and bone marrow plasmacytosis (> 10 per cent). One horse was euthanased; it had neoplastic plasma cell infiltrates in its kidneys, spleen, ...
Efficacy of oral and intravenous dexamethasone in horses with recurrent airway obstruction. Although the efficacy of dexamethasone for the treatment of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) has been documented, the speed of onset of effect and duration of action are unknown, as is the efficacy of orally administered dexamethasone with or without fasting. Objective: To document the time of onset of effect and duration of action of a dexamethasone solution i.v. or orally with and without fasting. Methods: Protocol 1 used 8 RAO-affected horses with airway obstruction in a crossover design experiment that compared the effect of i.v. saline and dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg bwt) on pulmonary func...
Efficacy of a live equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) strain C147 vaccine in foals with maternally-derived antibody: protection against EHV-1 infection. Currently, there is no recommended immunoprophylaxis against febrile respiratory diseases due to equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) and -4 (EHV-4) in horses below age 5-6 months. This is because of interference by maternally-derived antibody (MDA) of vaccines. Objective: Unweaned equine foals are an important reservoir of EHV-1 transmission; therefore, we experimentally assessed the efficacy of a live EHV-1 vaccine in foals age 1.4-3.5 months with MDA. Methods: Following vaccination and challenge, parameters assessed were virus shedding in nasal mucus, leucocyte-associated viraemia, circulating viru...
Effect of laryngoplasty on respiratory noise reduction in horses with laryngeal hemiplegia. Laryngoplasty is the technique of choice for treatment of laryngeal hemiplegia, with the aim of improving airway function and/or eliminating respiratory noise. However, there are no quantitative data in the literature describing the effect of laryngoplasty on upper airway noise or its relationship to upper airway mechanics in horses with laryngeal hemiplegia. Objective: To determine whether laryngoplasty reduces respiratory noise in exercising horses with laryngeal hemiplegia; and to establish whether the degree of upper airway obstruction can be predicted by upper airway noise, or the degree ...
Rhodococcus equi. Rhodococcus equi is an important cause of subacute or chronic abscessating bronchopneumonia of foals up to 3-5 months of age. It shares the lipid-rich cell wall envelope characteristic of the mycolata, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as the ability of pathogenic members of this group to survive within macrophages. The possession of a large virulence plasmid in isolates recovered from pneumonic foals is crucial for virulence. The plasmid contains an 27 kb pathogenicity island (PI) that encodes seven related virulence-associated proteins (Vaps), including the immunodominant surface...
Helcococcus ovis isolated from a pulmonary abscess in a horse. Helcococcus ovis, a recently described organism cultured from sheep, was isolated in pure culture from a pulmonary abscess in a horse. This is the first report of this organism in horses and the first report in veterinary medicine to clearly demonstrate a pathogenic role for this organism.
Allergen challenge alters lymphocyte phosphodiesterase activity in horses with heaves. Heaves is an allergic airway disease in horses characterised by reversible airway obstruction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation associated with a Th(2) response. Cyclic nucleotide-dependent signalling pathways can regulate lymphocyte function. In this study, we examined lymphocyte PDE activity comparing horses with heaves to healthy control animals. Total PDE activity and the effects of isoenzyme selective inhibitors were measured before, 5 and 24 h after the start of a 7 h allergen challenge. Allergen challenge had no effect on either total cAMP PDE activity or its inhibi...
Breath condensate hydrogen peroxide correlates with both airway cytology and epithelial lining fluid ascorbic acid concentration in the horse. The relationship between hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration in expired breath condensate (EBC) and cytology of the respiratory tract obtained from tracheal wash (TW) or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and epithelial lining fluid (ELF) antioxidant status is unknown. To examine this we analysed the concentration of H2O2 in breath condensate from healthy horses and horses affected by recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), a condition considered to be an animal model of human asthma. The degree of airway inflammation was determined by assessing TW inflammation as mucus, cell density and neutrophil ...
Application of acute phase protein measurements in veterinary clinical chemistry. The body's early defence in response to trauma, inflammation or infection, the acute phase response, is a complex set of systemic reactions seen shortly after exposure to a triggering event. One of the many components is an acute phase protein response in which increased hepatic synthesis leads to increased serum concentration of positive acute phase proteins. The serum concentration of these acute phase proteins returns to base levels when the triggering factor is no longer present. This paper provides a review of the acute phase proteins haptoglobin, C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A an...
Generalised granulomatous disease in a horse. A 6-year-old gelding was referred with a 3-month history of recurrent fever, inappetance, lethargy and weight loss. On clinical examination major findings were depression, thin condition, thrombophlebitis, nodules on the scrotal skin, leukocytosis, hyperfibrinogenaemia and hyperglobulinaemia. Pleural fluid and areas of lung consolidation were seen on ultrasonographic examination of the thorax. A diagnosis of chronic respiratory disease was made. Initially there was a response to antibiotic therapy but the horse was presented 3 months later with continued weight loss, recurrent fever and multif...
Comparison of tracheal aspirates and bronchoalveolar lavage in racehorses. 1. Evaluation of cytological stains and the percentage of mast cells and eosinophils. To compare a fast Romanowsky cytological stain (Diff-Quik) and Leishman's stain for the detection of mast cells in samples from the lower airways of racehorses, and to compare the proportion of mast cells and eosinophils in the total inflammatory cells in tracheal aspirate (TA) with those in paired bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples. Methods: Retrospective case series of 48 young Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses. Methods: Fifty-one paired TA and BAL samples were collected after treadmill exercise from 48 horses with poor racing performance. Two slides were prepared from each sample; ...
Diagnostic contribution of thoracic ultrasonography in 17 foals with Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the clinical usefulness of thoracic ultrasonography compared to thoracic radiography in evaluation of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. Criteria for patient inclusion in this study were: (1) isolation of R. equi from transtracheal aspirate, (2) radiographic evaluation of the pulmonary parenchyma, and (3) sonographic evaluation of the pulmonary parenchyma. Seventeen foals met this criteria and their medical records were reviewed. Pyogranulomatous pneumonia was identified radiographically in 13 foals. Severe consolidative pneumonia with no detectabl...
Assessment of leukotriene B4 production in leukocytes from horses with recurrent airway obstruction. To determine the ex vivo leukotriene (LT) biosynthesis in peripheral blood neutrophils (PBNs) and inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) obtained from horses affected with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Methods: 6 RAO-affected and 6 control horses. Methods: Before and 6, 24, and 48 hours after stabling, disease severity was determined subjectively by clinical and mucus scores and measurement of the maximal change in pleural pressure (deltaPpl(max)); PBNs were isolated and BALF samples were examined cytologically. The PBN and BALF cells were activated with a calcium iono...
[Mite allergy in the domestic horse: experience of an equine veterinarian specializing in the field of allergy]. When medical history and clinical examination for a recurrent or chronic cough reveal the presence of perennial allergy, the practitioner would be advised to look for mites present in the horse's environment. He can propose this service to his clients.
Biochemical and functional assessment of equine lymphocyte phosphodiesterases and protein kinase C. Lymphocytes play an important role in allergic inflammation and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of equine allergic skin and respiratory disease. Targeting intracellular signalling pathways in human lymphocytes has demonstrated a role for both phosphodiesterase and protein kinase C in cell activation. The aim of this study was to measure total cyclic nucleotide hydrolysing phosphodiesterase activity and to identify the phosphodiesterase and protein kinase C isoenzymes present in equine lymphocytes. The functional significance of these isoenzymes was then investigated by examining their...
Concentrations of gentamicin in serum and bronchial lavage fluid after once-daily aerosol administration to horses for seven days. To assess gentamicin concentrations in serum and bronchial lavage fluid (BLF) of horses during a 24-hour period after once-daily aerosol administration of gentamicin (GAER) for 7 days and the pattern and degree of bronchial tree inflammation associated with repeated GAER. Methods: 13 healthy adult horses (9 geldings and 4 mares). Methods: The treatment group comprised 8 horses, and 5 horses were untreated control animals. Gentamicin (20 mL of gentamicin [50 mg/mL]) was administered via aerosol once daily for 7 days. Samples of serum and BLF were obtained from all horses before GAER and 0.5, 4,...
Energetic cost of breathing, body composition, and pulmonary function in horses with recurrent airway obstruction. This study was conducted to determine whether horses with naturally occurring, severe chronic recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) 1). have a greater resting energy expenditure (REE) than control horses, 2). suffer body mass depletion, and 3). have significantly decreased REE after bronchodilation and, therefore, also 4). whether increased work of breathing contributes to the cachexia seen in some horses with RAO. Six RAO horses and six control horses underwent indirect calorimetric measures of REE and pulmonary function testing using the esophageal balloon-pneumotachograph method before and aft...
